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If you are already wondering what the title means...it is two-fold. I visited several wonderous waterfalls, but also had a fall of my own. I had a "fall" on a motorbike, but I'm FINE. Just a little skinned knee and hands; thankful that I had on long jeans and a jacket though. Really! This is hilarious since it is so damn typical for me and vehicles!! I actually feel bad for the poor rental companies who don't even see me comin! I mean every time it is guaranteed that I will do something to the vehicle, although I certainly don't mean to! And if you're wondering if I always have to pay the damages...yes, but really this is built into my (life-long) budget, since those are the dues when you belong to the elite club of "the world's worst drivers". I assure you that every salesperson and manager from Rewards Network, my previous company, will agree that I've earned this status. So...what happened this time...
I rented a bike for a few days to drive up in the mountains and explore the Atherton Tablelands, to give me a taste of Australia's "outback". It was such a perfectly relaxing beautiful trip
My Brekky Buddy
A little wallaby eating banana peel (besides the fall). I listened to the iPod and just cruised the winding mountain roads, exploring this new foreign land. I found everything from a mango winery to various lakes and cute little mountain towns.
The first afternoon I found myself enjoying the most remote roads around a lake. I stop for a bush walk (hike) and I'm lovin life. The butterflies amaze me, so big and brightly colored, fluttering around as if to entertain me. As I continue on, I quickly find myself wondering if the road were perhaps getting a bit too "gravely" for the bike, but I am loving the scenery. So, I just kept going, taking it slow. Then this huge animal jumps out from the bush and runs across the road. It is taller than a german shepherd and is black. I am thinking, "What is it?" Then I think, "Holy Shit! It's some type of black wolf! That thing could eat me!" I slam on my brakes, the bike slides out from under me. As I lay on the ground with my own bloody paws, I am not sure whether to laugh or cry. I begin to laugh aloud as I think of
myself in yet another predicament, but when I start to laugh, my chest aches, as the wind was knocked out of me. My "Paige" designer jeans torn...ugh!, my body feels soar, but I'll be ok. 😊 Then I quickly think, I better get out of here in case that wolf were to come back hungry. Like any good cowgirl would do, once bucked off, I get back on and ride. Daddy taught me that long ago. 😊 (Ok, horses and motorcycles may be a little different and I'm hardly a cowgirl, but you get it, I had to go...)
A few minutes later, an old truck comes by and I wave to stop him to inquire what the animal was. The one-eyed man driving the truck figures it was a dingo. I drive 30 minutes to the nearest town to finally get some band-aids and a 2nd opinion. Apparently they don't have wolves here. Some thought it could be a wild pig, but I was up close and personal enough to know it wasn't a pig. I guess the normal dingos are smaller and yellow, but they appear to be mating with wild dogs, and in this area are
now often big and black, so I guess it was only a damn dingo, not too ferocious after all. After this stop, I quickly find myself a cabin in the woods where I can check in for the night. I am shaken up, just like a little kid after a fall...I want my mama...but she's not here so I guess a hot spa bath and a bottle of port wine will have to do to settle me down.
The next day I have a beautiful long hike around Lake Eacham and then have brekky (as the Australians call breakfast) on my little cabin deck. A cute little wallaby hops up from the surrounding woods. I feed her banana peels as we enjoy brekky together. This is SO FUN for me! I love the little wallabies (mini kangaroos).
I hit the road again, and do the waterfall circuit...I thought this could get boring, but on the contrary, it creates the most peaceful afternoon enjoying the beautiful day and natural scenery. The area turns into farmland, what they are referring to as tropical dairy land, and it's really not much different from Wisconsin. I go to a cheese factory to
do a comparison to home. The place is so cute, called "out of the Whey" and has an outdoor patio where I enjoy cheese tastings, hot tea and a cheese pastry pie...yummm!
Even with my little "fall", I thoroughly enjoy my few days away and just appreciate "the ride". You've heard the old saying, "it's not the desitination, it's the journey!" I'm finally beginning to really understand this....So true! 😊
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